What’s up, Bucs fans? Welcome back to another edition of Daily Snaps. Let’s take a glance at what the top headlines are today for the boys in red and pewter.
First up, we have a piece from Joe at JoeBucsFan.com, which states that quarterback Jameis Winston has taken upon himself to lead some of his fellow offensive players in some private workouts here in Tampa before camp starts in a few days. While Joe says there might be a cause for concern (he points out the last two quarterbacks to lead private offensive workouts were Josh McCown and Josh Freeman), I don’t think it should be. This is just another sign that Jameis is ready to be a leader for this football team. We will see if the extra work pays off once camp starts.
The next piece is also Winston-related. Zach Shapiro of Pewter Report discusses whether or not Jameis will win the Rookie of the Year award in the latest part of the Bucs Critical Camp Question series. Shapiro mulls over whether or not both Jameis and Mariota can eclipse 3,000 yards and 15 total touchdowns and how that will factor into the ROTY consideration. Ultimately, there is one key aspect that could help him “join Warrick Dunn and Cadillac Williams as the third Buccaneer to win the award.” Jameis winning Rookie of the Year? It’s a definite possibility, Bucs fans.
Dec 28, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers tackle Demar Dotson (69) against the New Orleans Saints during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. New Orleans Saints defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Joe Kania of Buccaneers.com breaks down the offensive line as it gets ready for camp. Right tackle Demar Dotson, left guard Logan Mankins and center Evan Smith are the three returning starters, and Mankins has slimmed down since last season. Kania says that the second round picks, offensive tackle Donovan Smith and guard Ali Marpet, are expected to compete for starting spots, and so are 2014 fifth-round picks, Kevin Pamphile and Kadeem Edwards. Coach George Warhop has his work cut out for him after a rough 2014 season. We will see how much the line has improved once training camp starts.
Lastly, we have a piece from Bleacher Report’s Luke Easterling on the five free agents the Bucs should consider signing. The five free agents include guard Evan Mathis, who I also strongly suggested the team sign, and defensive end Dwight Freeney. Mathis should be the only signing that Licht seriously considers. Others are both old and/or injury prone. Some could struggle to even crack the depth chart. Although some of these veterans would be good to have from an experience standpoint, none of them would really make a difference except for Mathis.
That’s it for today’s Snaps, Bucs fans. Check back next week for a whole new set of Snaps and enjoy the weekend!
Next: Derrick Brooks will reportedly meet with Jameis Winston every day